Film Review: Ghostbusters

If there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? Me, cuz I want to hear all about it. Especially if these Ghostbusters are involved.

I know I’ll be institutionalized for saying this, but I was very underwhelmed by the original Ghostbusters. Maybe I would’ve thought differently had I seen it back in its time; unfortunately, grownup Lauren didn’t quite get the obsession and was too creeped out by Bill Murray’s character to enjoy a lot of the humor. But this reboot, this is the Ghostbusters I was expecting, building off the films that came before while adding the technology and humor of today. Oh, and did you know it is a female cast?

I really feel bad for the group of people who are going to be missing out on a great movie because they hate change. And women. It’s one thing if you know the work of Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon and prefer a different brand of humor because what you get here is a lot of what you expect from these hilariously physical and emotive comedians, but if you’re boycotting on principle then you should really reconsider. The people making this film loved the original just as much as you, and they know what they’re doing in both moments of fan service and moments of pure fun. They definitely had their own vision for this world, so they’re different enough that you can give yourself permission to like both. Everyone deserves a good laugh, and that’s exactly what you’re going to get here.

As I mentioned before, if you know the cast then you know what brand of comedy to expect. Obviously this is a heightened world different than that which we are used to, and the comedy rises to meet the supernatural elements. The colorful and animated ghosts look like they were vomited out of the live-action Scooby-Doo poster, luckily they’ve found themselves in a much better movie. Even with all the silly gags and stupid humor, even as Wiig gets projectile vomited on and Chris Hemsworth tries to grab something through the glass of an aquarium, I found most everything honest and grounded thanks to the reactions of the cast, and the jokes that made the cut were those that were in reach of the situation, not just those that were solely for a large reaction.

Oh, and there’s some amazing action as well. As Hemsworth steals some of the conversational scenes with the Ghostbusters, McKinnon goes full blown action hero at one point. Paint some abs on her and get her a Spartan helmet, McKinnon is a beast. I have no idea how she built all the tech and weapons the team is using (one of my main complaints is not seeing her tinkering away at any of these toys before we see the final products), but boy does she know how to use them. As does everyone else. I never expected to see these actors as action stars, but Ghostbusters made them just that. All the while cracking jokes.

For those of you that are wary of listening to someone who says they like a reboot more than the original, I’ll throw you a bone with a complaint about this film: the villain is weak. He doesn’t quite fit within this movie with his scheming and general nutbaggery. So there, the original was better in that regard. But that’s all I’m giving it. And you should give this Ghostbusters a chance. It more than deserves it.